Team’s ‘surge in COVID cases’ cancels another Midlands high school football game
A second Midlands high school football game has been canceled because of COVID.
Spring Valley canceled its home game against White Knoll because of COVID issues within the Vikings’ team, Richland 2 announced Friday morning.
“Tonight’s Spring Valley vs. White Knoll football game has been canceled,” Richland 2 said in a news release. “The Spring Valley football team has had a surge in COVID cases and other illnesses. For the safety of all involved, and due to a lack of available players, the decision was made to cancel last night’s junior varsity as well as tonight’s varsity game.”
White Knoll is opening to find a replacement on Friday night but there aren’t many options. The game with SV would be a no contest and not a forfeit.
This is the second game in the Midlands canceled this week because of COVID. Keenan also canceled its game with Orangeburg-Wilkinson. Outside the Midlands, McBee’s game against Buford also was canceled. Buford replaced the game with Lewisville,.
These are believed to be among the first COVID cancellations in South Carolina since the 2021 season.
In Keenan’s case: “There was a COVID-19 outbreak on Keenan’s football team,” Richland 1 communications director Karen York told The State. “Thirteen of Keenan’s football players reported testing positive for COVID. We are following the guidelines recommended by DHEC.”
COVID caused major problems with sports cancellations in the Midlands and across the state in 2020 and 2021.
According to the S.C. High School League, about 10% to 12% of football games were canceled or postponed in 2020. The Class 2A championship game between Abbeville and Marion was pushed back a few weeks because of COVID within the Marion football team.
Things largely returned to normal by the 2022 season, with stadiums and arenas operating at full capacity for games.
This week, many games across the state were moved back in start times or moved up a day because of extreme heat in the forecast.
A new COVID strain called XBB.1.5 — a subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant — has led to a rise in cases and hospitalizations in South Carolina.
This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 10:16 AM.
